


Peace, Love & Curry!

by the_only_iris



Category: One Piece
Genre: Eventual Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Pining Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Self-Indulgent, Vinsmoke Sanji Being an Asshole, Vinsmoke Sanji Being an Idiot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26649193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_iris/pseuds/the_only_iris
Summary: Vinsmoke Sanji has a lot of regrets; starting with the stunt he pulled in Whole Cake Island, hurting his crewmates, and slightly—just slightly, cheating on you.Ever since he had fallen into the depths of learning the best curry dish in the entire world, Sanji's mind had somehow been pining after you—the creator of it. You were more or less a person who was too afraid to dream, and for the chef of the best curry in the world, Sanji was more than determined to make you see it. But, as he tried to induce hope in a hopeless woman, he induces love in a loveless man.A tale of pining, forgiveness and sorrow. And also, Sanji being Sanji.[Post Whole Cake Island] [Pre-Punk Hazard in flashback] {Purely self-indulgent, writing for myself]
Relationships: Vinsmoke Sanji/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. a tale worth telling.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_only_iris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_iris/gifts).



**p.**

**a tale worth telling.**

It wasn’t difficult for anyone in the Straw Hats to admit that Luffy was adamant, demanding, downright discouraging when it concerned decisions he made and yet, still remained outrageously lovable. Sanji’s sudden change in personality scared everyone in Whole Cake Island, and the events leading up to where the blond had to beg for forgiveness remained a whole fact; Nami was still furious with how he had walked away, despite knowing the harsh pain that had once been Sanji’s reality. He had a better family now, and if that fact hadn’t sunk into his head, then there was only sticks and stones that would assist in relaying the message.

Sanji was normally not afraid to let his affections be known toward the orange-haired woman, but right then, as guilt-ridden as he was, it scared him to go above and beyond after what had happened. Luffy’s fight with Katakuri proved to be almost fatal, and it had all happened because Sanji chose to deal with his problems by himself. As noble as it might have been, having befriended Luffy meant he had to share his problems; no matter how difficult he may think it could be.

“How long till we reach Wano?” Sanji asked Nami, who was sitting by the helm of the ship, with Carrot and Brook.

“We’re stopping at a minor island before that, actually,” Nami eyed Sanji strangely, “(y/n)… is there.”

“(y/n)? Woohoo! I haven’t seen her since before Punk Hazard! What’s she doing there?”

Nami turned away, “Well,” She scratched the back of her neck, “There’s someone here she wants to meet.”

Sanji froze before realising he’d forgotten to light his cigarette. Your name was a memory etched in his brain, a memory that replayed what love meant—sharp the slap was once Nami mentioned your name to him post the events that occurred in Whole Cake Island. He remembered the words he had said to you over the Den Den Mushi, he remembered how brutally mean he had been to you, especially when you begged him to stay, reconsider, and as your words etched in his memory, he was terrified. He was terrified to meet you, since, whatever relationship you two shared was now over.

He found himself approaching Nami once it was nighttime, not sure what to say. Nami observed his hesitance before letting out a breath, running a hand through her locks.

“She knows,” Nami said, “I told her what happened. She was heartbroken you wouldn’t talk to her, but… She understands.”

She always does, “Nami-san, I… I don’t know how to face her—“

Nami frowned, “Yeah, you shouldn’t. I don’t even understand why she came all this way just to see your idiotic face after all that shit you put her through! Listen here, Sanji, you’ve hurt her a great deal. I’d suggest you introspect and think over every single word you’re going to tell her or else I’ll make you pay.”

Sanji understood the reason why Nami was so overly protective of you. After all, it was Nami who discovered the entire deal behind your island, Nami who had suggested that you don’t become a Straw Hat because your island needed you. Nami, was in many ways, the sister you had lost, the family you had hoped for, and Sanji was the man you were supposed to lean on. Despite who he thought he was to you, Sanji had just failed you.

“We’ll have just a few days before Wano,” Nami said, “We have to meet up with Zoro and the others so… We have to be quick in picking out supplies that we need, just in case.”

“I want to see (y/n)! I’m sure Sanji does too,” Luffy said, happily, before noticing the gloomy expression lingering on the blond’s face, “Sanji, she’ll forgive you, you know that right?”

That was entirely the problem. You always forgave him. Despite Sanji being who he was, despite the fact that he ran after every woman he laid his eyes on, even if you were there or you weren’t, you always took it with a smile and let it go. Nami found it ridiculous that you gave your heart to such a frivolous man, but you were deeply in love and she couldn’t comment. However, the least Sanji could do, in her opinion, was respect you and your feelings. She couldn’t understand the audacity with which he treated you.

“I… I don’t deserve her,” Sanji spoke, “She deserves someone better.”

“I agree.” Nami said, not even denying it.

Sanji chuckled before breathing out cigarette smoke, the familiar burn in his throat soothed him. Nami turned to look at him before narrowing her eyes. She knew the man adored you, she knew there was a part of him that was deeply in love with you, or he’d not have done what he had done in your island all those months ago. Yet, frivolous Sanji always came first; a fact you had accepted even if you shouldn’t have to.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Nami sighed before turning to him, causing the man to blink in confusion, “Talk about her to me.”

“What?”

“(y/n),” Nami urged, “Talk about her to us. Tell Luffy and Carrot why you love her. Begin from the very beginning, because well, Carrot doesn’t know. Tell us everything—“

“But, Nami, I was there—“

“Shut up, Luffy! Sanji! Start talking!”

Sanji took a puff of his cigarette and noticed that his hands were shaking. It was odd, you’d always managed to make him nervous, regardless of if you were around him or not. He was always left quaking and a mess of a human being than he always was, but not one part of him minded. Perhaps, the events of Whole Cake Island triggered something in him; and when Pudding had revealed who she really was, Sanji understood what love meant.

“We met (y/n) in an island after we left Fishman Island. Her island was small, but there was a lot going on. And she…”

Sanji chuckled, taking in another puff.

“…she had always wanted to be a chef too.”


	2. the taste never lies.

**1.**

**the taste never lies.**

Sanji’s eye twitched at the sight of the kitchen. Sure, they had left Fishman Island a few days ago, but the lack of supplies was a disastrous sight for a chef. He wondered if he should go ask Nami when they’ll arrive on the next island so that they could stock for supplies, but knowing full well how Luffy would react if he didn’t prep up a meal for lunch right now made Sanji sigh. A soft smile adorned his lips when he thought of how everyone would react once he finished making a meal—and that kept him going.

Gathering what he could, Sanji made an array of dishes—sautéed fish fried with semolina, a vegetarian pie, lemon squeezed drinks and with the leftover chicken thighs, Sanji tossed in garlic roasted in olive oil before roasting them in the oven until cooked. A simple meal, yet, every ounce of Sanji’s heart was poured into it. 

“Sanji-kun!” Nami exclaimed as he brought out the food, “This looks amazing! I thought we were running out?”

“We are,” Sanji grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, “But, Nami-swan~! I’m so happy you like it!” 

When the crew got around to eating, Sanji lit a cigarette before letting out a puff. He watched as the others exclaimed in joy, sharing food, drinking and cheering, an everyday sight that he would never get tired of.

“Oh, yeah,” Usopp spoke with his mouth full, “When are we reaching the next island?”

“In a couple of hours, right?” Robin asked, turning to Nami.

“Yep,” She affirmed, “It’s not too far off. It’s a small town, and we can lodge there for a few days before setting sail again.”

Sanji started to mentally make a list of all the things he’d need in the kitchen before noticing Chopper approach him. The blond blinked before wondering what the reindeer wanted.

“Something wrong, Chopper?”

“I was hoping we could go shopping for things together this time, Sanji. I’m short of some medicinal supplies too, so we can make two lists and just wrap it up on day one so we can relax?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sanji agreed that it’d be better off to do so. “I’ll write down the things I need so… Wait, what’s our budget?”

“Nami gave me a whole number!”

Sanji blinked, “What is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“How can you not know!? You’re the one who approached me!”

Once the two of them determined how much can be spent on supplies, Sanji sat down to make his list. He spotted a sleeping Zoro in the distance, under the helm, and noticed Nami head inside saying she’d take a bath, Robin was reading a book and Luffy was asleep along with Usopp. Franky was working on something on the interior, and Brook was lightly humming. He turned to his list before noticing he hadn’t yet penned down anything; a second later, his fingers faltered, remembering the lost scent of his mother, a scent he had once believed he had forgotten. During moments like these, when comfort seemed to embrace him to his very core, Sanji remembered her.

Two hours later, Franky came up and suggested they begin to dock. Sanji blinked before getting up and checking if the island was nearby, and as if it appeared out of nowhere, there it was. The dock shone brightly—light sand that was almost white, reflecting a light blue patch of the ocean, which in all its hindsight was beautiful on its own. Robin stood beside Sanji before taking in a breath.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you, Robin-chwan~!”

Luffy jumped forward before reaching the edge of the beach, ready to explore the island. He turned to the crew before Zoro and Usopp caught up to the captain.

“Let’s go!”

“Where are you going? You don’t even know the area!” Nami snapped.

“I’m hungry! Let’s go find a place to eat!”

 _We ate two hours ago_ , Sanji thought, chucking to himself. Shaking his head, he didn’t think it was too bad of an idea to grab some grub. After all, he hadn’t eaten earlier. It didn’t bother him that the crew hadn’t noticed; it was in fact, a bit flattering since the food had distracted them enough to do so. Pulling out another cigarette, Sanji lit it before feeling the smoke claim his insides, numbing the hunger for the time being.

“What do you think is the right thing to do, Robin? Should we go get something to eat?” Nami asked, confused.

“Why not? Sanji-kun hasn’t eaten, after all.”

Sanji’s eyes widened. In a moment of absolute panic, he had forgotten that sometimes, his crew did notice what he’d do. Suddenly, he felt eyes on him, Luffy, Usopp, Nami, and even that marimo Zoro turned to look at him.

“Let’s go!” Luffy said, once more and Sanji smiled.

The crew walked into the town and there was nothing too unique that stood out. There were kids running around, there was a man selling cabbages, which Sanji made a mental note of, and there was a woman selling clams, which was yet another thing he made a note of. He spotted a sign at the end of the street that said ‘Curry’ and blinked. _It’s been a while since I’ve had curry_ , he thought, before letting out a breath.

“Oi, Luffy,” Sanji said, pointing to the tiny bar, “Care for some curry?”

“Ooh! It’s been a while!”

Heading inside, they noticed that there was practically no one around. Sanji noticed a few flies roam here and there, some of the tables were barely clean, slotted with a sticky surface that only screamed that this place was devoid of proper sanitization. He let out a sigh before realizing how pathetic this place was, before wondering just how bad the curry might be. _On second thought_ , he thought, _We probably shouldn’t get the—_

“Give us 9 bowls of curry!”

“Ask us first, you idiot!” The rest of the crew yelled in unison at their captain.

Sanji sat across Chopper and Brook, on a table that was the least messy. Luffy didn’t seem to care, and Zoro didn’t look to unappeased either. However, he noticed the discomfort in Robin, Usopp and Nami’s eyes, and felt his insides reel with unprecedented anger. Making good food wasn’t the only best thing; the fact that the presentation and the decorum mattered too was what was called for in a good chef. After a few moments, Sanji noticed a man come out and hand them all bowls of curry, which strangely didn’t smell too bad. As a matter of fact, it smelled quite good—the aroma almost took his eyes off how stained the tables were, how the flies flying around were growing absent. 

Sanji noticed the clean sheen on the bowl, almost professional, and noticed the spoon on which he could see his own reflection. What a peculiar shift to such an asinine place, he thought before taking the spoon and mixing part of the curry with the rice and bringing it to his nose. He smelled the spices right off the bat, the smell suddenly salivating his mouth, and his eyes widened. Once the spoon went into his mouth, Sanji felt his stomach flip.

He didn’t even need to take another spoon to know it. This was the best curry he had ever tasted in his life.

Suddenly, he felt nervous; almost as if he had judged the cook wrong. Sure, the place wasn’t decent looking at all—but the person’s presentation in the bowl itself was outstanding. He felt the corner of his eyes prick with tears at how deliberately unique yet down-to-earth this taste was, before spotting the rest of his crew eat in silence. 

“This curry…” he let out, taking a breath. “It’s…”

“It’s surprisingly really good!” Nami said, happily, “I’m actually glad Luffy ordered it for us now instead—“

“No, it’s…” The crew paused to look at Sanji. “It’s the best curry I’ve ever tasted.”

The rest of them suddenly grew quiet. Luffy was well aware that hearing such words come from Sanji meant something more than either of them could understand; it was a fact, now etched in stone, that Sanji, the best chef in the world, was talking about this particular curry in such a high note. 

“Whoa, Sanji… You… You really mean that?” Usopp said, eyes wide.

Sanji pursed his lips, “We have to meet the chef. I need to… This is unreal! I’ve never tasted curry like this before.”

“Then let’s go!”

That’s all he’s been saying, Sanji thought casually, but let out a smile nonetheless. A moment later, someone walked out of the front booth, which was attached to the kitchen, and everyone’s eyes fell on _you_ for the first time; you stood there, your arms wrapping around yourself, and your eyes were now fixed on the first person near you, Sanji, and blinked a couple of times before noticing him grow hearts in his eyes at the mere sight of you. A woman with orange hair pulled him back before you turned to spot a reindeer. 

“C-Can I help you?” You asked, tilting your head a bit.

“We need to meet the chef for this curry,” Robin said, kindly, “Could you introduce us to this person?”

Your eyes widened before you pursed your lips. If only Sanji had limited his sudden exclamations at the sight of a new woman, he’d have noticed your hesitance, he’d have noticed your shrinking stance.

“I don’t know who it is…” Even a layman could tell you were lying, but it was why you were lying that they couldn’t figure out, “…I’m sorry.”

Just as you walked out, Sanji’s eyes returned to normal and he lit another cigarette. 

“It’s her,” He said, “She’s the chef.”

“Why’d she lie, though?” Franky asked.

“Maybe she doesn’t want the credit.” Brook said.

Unlike the rest of the crew, Sanji had noticed the bandages on your fingers, and the bruises that crawled upwards from your wrist to your arm. Cooking could involve accidents that would require bandages on your fingers, sure; but the bruises on your arm? They spoke another story entirely. You were trying to wrap your hands around yourself in hopes to hide them, but Sanji had seen them regardless. 

After all, your apron had smidges of the same color this curry was. There was no mistaking it that you were the chef. There was also no mistaking it that there was more to this curry than just a lying cook and a disgusting looking bar.


	3. not really a damsel

**2.  
not really a damsel**

He walked right outside, fully intending to follow you, but what he saw a moment later froze him to his spot. Sanji’s eyes landed on you, fallen to the ground, a larger male pressing his foot to your wrist. You were groaning in pain, clearly not having any control over the situation you were in, and Sanji’s blood boiled. Treating a lady like that? That was not a good idea, especially if Sanji were around.

“Luffy,” Sanji grit his teeth, “I’m going to—“

“Go ahead.” 

Sanji rushed forward, but screeched to a halt when he noticed you grab the man’s leg using your other hand and bring him down in a quick movement; you then stood before tearing the cloth of your apron and tying the man’s hands behind his back, before pushing him down and kicking his back. Before you could land another blow however, a woman grabbed your hand from behind you and pulled you back.

“(y/n)! What are you doing!? Stop!”

You looked enraged, quite unlike the person the Straw Hats had seen just moments ago. You turned to spot Sanji’s bewildered glance directed at you before you clicked your tongue and turned away. Once you were calm, the woman let go of you before falling in front of the male you had kicked down and pressing her forehead to the ground in apology. Clearly, you didn’t like seeing the woman do this, so you turned away, fresh tears pricking your eyes.

“ _Please_! Please forgive her! She hasn’t eaten in two days! She’s tired and hungry—“

“Jerald will hear of this!” The man screamed, kicked the woman in the face, and walked away.

Nami rushed toward the woman and you stood there, wiping the angry tears away from your eyes before turning to her.

“I can take it from here.” You said, not meeting anyone’s eye.

“What happened?” Nami asked, furious.

“You’re pirates,” You spoke, “So none of your concern.”

“(y/n), right?” Zoro spoke this time, “Seems like your little town’s facing some issue. We can help—“

“Well, I don’t need your help.”

A moment later, Sanji knelt down before you and you froze when you saw fury in his gaze. It was obvious that it wasn’t directed at you, but with the way he was just looking in front of him, back to the woman who lay on the ground, you could tell he was unhappy. It was strange, you didn’t even know this man yet the need to trust him was present. 

“I can’t watch as someone treats women so unfairly,” He turned to you a moment later, taking your hands in his, “I can tell you’ve also been treated the same way. Please, let us help. We know that you’re the one who cooked the curry—“

“I told you—“

“—so we’re indebted to you since you gave us food.” Sanji said, clearly not listening to your interruptions. 

However, you pulled your hand away from his before helping the woman up. Luffy watched you before noticing the bruises this time, pressing his lips together before making a decision. 

“It’s okay,” Luffy said, freezing you to the spot, “You don’t have to tell us. But, we’re going to help anyway. We gotta find Jerald guy right? So, who is he?”

You scoffed, unimpressed with this little boy’s show of valour. What could be the harm? Pirates fighting pirates, it wouldn’t matter to you either way. You wouldn’t tell them anything more, you wouldn’t tell them what this entire ordeal was about. Guiding them to Jerald wouldn’t matter at all, especially if you weren’t involved directly. You shrugged before turning away, leading the woman away from there.

“Jerald is the guy working for the man who imprisoned most of the men in this town,” You said, “So getting to him won’t be easy.”

“Alright! Sanji, do you want to help?”

Sanji didn’t waste any time, “Yes.”

And then the decision was made.

*

“What is the matter with you?” Aunt Filba asked, narrowing her eyes at you.

You soaked a cloth in water before applying it to her wound. You were aware that helping these people by disguising yourself was a danger, and getting away with it sometimes might prove a hassle. So far, you’d only been caught once, but there was no way you were going to let them starve. Even if it meant you were starving, it wouldn’t matter. You meet Filba in the eye before smiling a bit. Filba had bright orange hair, quite similar to the woman you’d met earlier, and similar orange eyes; she could have been like a mother to you, if it weren’t for who you were.

“Aunt Filba,” You spoke, “This is all my fault.”

“Lady (y/n), you shouldn’t even be here. This is not a place for you! You should—“

“Let you starve? I can’t do that.”

Filba sighed before letting you dress her wounds. 

“What about those pirates? They didn’t seem like bad people.” 

You narrowed your eyes. You weren’t going to make the mistake of trusting pirates, no matter who they were or where they were from and how they behaved. Pirates were all the same. 

“Pirates are scum, Aunt Filba,” You grit your teeth, “You’ve seen what they’ve done to this town.”

 _And I am part of such scum_ , you thought, tears brushing the sides of your eyes. You weren’t going to let any more people of this town suffer. Even if it meant doing the unthinkable. Taking a deep breath, you bit your lower lip before coming to a decision.

“The kids… They need food,” You said, “I know where to go get some.”

Filba’s eyes widened, “No! You won’t be able to return—“

“I will return,” You held her hands, “Getting into the castle is a bit of a hassle, but once I’m inside, I know my way around. Don’t worry, I can do this. Besides,” You winked, “You’re forgetting I have an ace up my sleeve.”

Of course you did. Once inside the castle, there was no way anyone could harm you. Since, after all, there was no one else that knew the castle better than you did. Swallowing your fear, you readied yourself. All you had to do was sneak into the castle’s kitchen and grab as much food as you could before scurrying out. A task that sounded simple, yet deadly if you were to get caught. 

_I can’t let them see me_ , you thought before rushing outside. The path to the castle was almost secure, considering the big building was just at the centre of the village. It wasn’t even a castle, it was called that because it was the biggest house around; and the people who once resided there were noble. You stared at the cellar door at the back entrance, and chuckled at how it still remained unguarded. Slipping in, you rushed inside, hiding behind pillars, as you made your way to the kitchen. _The kitchen’s just a bit further…_ you thought, but stopped at your tracks when you heard shouting.

_Shouting?_

You gasped when you saw a large reindeer, and on his back sat the idiot straw-hat and the blond man, rushing towards where you stood. Behind them, over ten pirates chased after them, and you gasped knowing full well that this would blow your cover. Before you could move away, the blond reached forward and grabbed your wrist, pulling you along, as the reindeer continued to run from the assailants.

“What are you doing here!?” You screamed, angrily.

“You said to find Jerald!” The straw-hat said.

“So you decided to barge in!?” 

“That’s how Luffy does things,” Sanji responded, still holding on to you, “It’s nothing special.”

What in the world is wrong with these people? The reindeer came to a halt when a fork presented itself in the passage ways. You groaned before grabbing tightly onto the blond’s jacket for balance. You didn’t notice Sanji blush.

“Take a left and another quick right, there’s a door to a short storage room. We can hide there.”

As if on cue, the reindeer continued in the direction you called out for, and reached the place safely. You felt the blond’s hand reach your waist, causing you to kick him before landing on the ground of the safe room. Frowning, you turned to the three of them before placing your hands on your waist.

“Care to explain what the hell is going on?” You asked, clearly very angry.

“The big guy led us to Jerald.” The straw-hat said.

“No,” You replied, “Why do you even care?”

It was Sanji who spoke this time, “You don’t seem to trust pirates, and I understand that because these men call themselves that. But, you can trust us.”

“Sure.” You said, rolling your eyes.

“Your bruises,” The reindeer spoke, shocking you to your core, “You’re here trying to help people, right?”

You stilled for a moment. You nodded slowly, before noticing the reindeer’s eyes soften. 

“We’re here for that too. We want to help.”

But, you gain nothing out of this. You wanted to ask them more questions, you wanted to learn about who they were and why they were in this town in the first place, but what intrigued you next was what Sanji said.

“Your curry was the best curry I’d ever tasted in the world,” Your eyes widened, “It’d be an honour if you allowed me to eat it once more.”

“What are you—“

“So for that to happen,” The blond said, “We need to free this town.”

 _All this for curry?_ If you had known who Sanji was and how passionate he was for food, you’d know for certain that this man would definitely free a town full of nasty pirates for the sake of the best curry in the world.


	4. faults and secrets

3.  
**faults and secrets**

*****

You’d learned that the names of the three idiots that had saved your life were Luffy, the pirate captain, Sanji, the perverted blond, and Chopper, the talking reindeer. As weird as this combination was, you’d understood that they had no reason to have any ulterior motives with helping you, but even with their firmness, you weren’t ready to trust pirates. Letting out a breath, you turned toward the three who quite obviously didn’t have a plan.

“Do you even know why you came here?”

“To find that Jerald guy,” Luffy answered, “You said he’s the boss.”

You groaned, “He’s not the boss. He works for the boss.”

“So, you know who the boss is?” Chopper asked and your face flushed.

You did. You knew who the boss was quite well, but that was as unfortunate as stories go. You turned away from them before nodding lightly, clearly dissatisfied with the memory that question brought in. It was Sanji who noticed the hesitance grow in the air, but chose to say nothing.

“Why are you in here?” Sanji asked, folding his arms. A part of him hoped you weren’t in here to cause trouble intentionally, but you seemed to carry around an air of sorrow everywhere you went.

“I…” You thought of the children and women in the two who were hungry, and thought of how despite being a chef, you couldn’t feed them. “I’m…”

Were you afraid to tell pirates that you were here to steal food for the poor? Growing up, your mother had always told you that stealing was wrong. No matter what the reason, it takes away dignity from your actions and that would forever deprive you the respect you would deserve. Growing up, you didn’t have to worry about pirates taking over your town for its former glory, so what your mother said didn’t quite help the situation.

Every bit of food you were to make, was sold to customers to mint off money. No part of that food was to go to the poor, and you weren’t even allowed to walk around in the streets. Because of who you were, you couldn’t reveal your identity, and every time you were caught like today, something or the other would go wrong.

Because of who you were, helping the poor was a luxury you could not afford.

“The food you made,” Luffy said, snapping you out of your reverie, “Why didn’t you admit you made it?”

You looked at him with an expression they couldn’t quite understand. Sanji stared at you as if he understood that very look from years ago, but chose not to say anything. You shook your head before swallowing your pride.

“I’m here to steal food,” You said, “There are women and children in the village who don’t get food from these monsters. I came to steal for them.”

“Alright!” Luffy said, accepting your words thoughtlessly, “Let’s go steal some food!”

“What?”

“That’s a noble reason, (y/n)-chan,” Sanji said, hearts in his eyes, “A beautiful woman, best curry maker in the world, and thoughtful! You are really—“

“Sanji, we’ve no time for that!” Chopper screamed. “Where’s the storage for the kitchen? We can take some on our way out.”

“It’s not that simple,” You urged, “Jerald’s men know we’re here. They’re going to send him here any second.”

“This Jerald guy,” Luffy narrowed his eyes, “What he do?”

Tears filled your eyes when you thought of everything Jerald had put your town through. Aunt Filba, your mother, the countless children who had died from starvation, everything had happened because Jerald had taken the first step into subjugating everyone in town. You glared at Luffy as you said just a sentence that gave the captain all the reason to beat the man up.

“He’s the one who led his monster of a pirate captain here,” Despite knowing who Jerald was, you couldn’t care less, “He… He’s a monster too.”

It didn’t take long for Luffy to understand that you had more to reveal, but were choosing not to. Whatever it was, if you weren’t ready to talk about it, then you’d eventually tell them if you wanted to. Finding the truth was never really his concern if it made people uncomfortable, but fighting someone who’d done something so utterly drastic to the town was reason enough to take charge. Sanji eyed you suspiciously, wondering how it was that you knew so much and did so little; you didn’t come across as a helpless woman. You were bold, and from the looks of it, quite intelligent. So what was it that was preventing you from doing more?

On your way out, you led the other three through a passage inside the castle that could easily take you to the storage. You knew you had to be extra quiet, considering the cover you’d blown so easily earlier, but you still had a chance. Taking a quick left, you opened a grilled gate that led inside a large cellar room, and you rushed toward the left wall. Pressing on a brick, you pulled it off the wall before putting your hand through it and finding a key.

“This is a spare key that I hid here,” You said, “It’s for the storage.”

“Oh! That’s great!” Chopper said.

Sanji felt nervous. You seemed to navigate through the castle as if you knew every inch of this place, and the only time he remembered navigating through cellars was when he was locked up as a child. Sanji remembered that the idea of familiarity toward a place that one didn’t like wasn’t always out of a voluntary remembrance. It seemed as if this place was more familiar to you than it would have been for someone who broke and entered a couple of times.

You rushed out and took the right in the passage before pointing to the last door in the corner.

“That’s the storage room,” You said, “Once we’re in there, take as much as you can carry. And then we rush out from the window inside, which leads to the back of the castle. Once we’re out, meet back at the house with a green door.”

You let the others toward the storage before quickly rushing inside, and froze to your spot when you felt a hand cover your mouth and knock you down. You struggled to move but the weight pressed on you. From the corner of your eye you saw Sanji, Luffy and Chopper enter the room but froze at the sight of you, pressed to the ground. You groaned before hearing the man chuckle, your eyes widened instantly at the knowledge of who it was.

“Well, well, well,” Jerald spoke, “Never expected to run into my darling little sister scurrying around like a goddamn thief.”

The facts that you wanted to run away from would never leave you. Tears fell from your eyes and you avoided meeting the pirate’s gaze.

How could you run away from yourself? Since after all, the village being this way was your fault.


End file.
